Barry Williams from “The Brady Bunch,” catfish races, Belgian pies, free polka lessons, lumberjack shows and the first SnowFest in 23 years. What more could you want from one month?
July is packed with summer fests. Here’s a spin through nine of them that are just a quick trip from Green Bay.
Iola Car Show and Swap Meet, July 8-10, Iola
It’s already one of the country’s biggest car shows, but this year’s event will be a little more groovy. Barry Williams, who starred as Greg Brady on “The Brady Bunch,” headlines the roster of celebrity guests. He’ll be signing autographs at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. daily, and with any luck, maybe talking about the episode with the family car and the egg on a traffic cone. The real draw, of course, is more than 2,500 show cars and 4,000 swap meet vendors. The event, which was canceled last year, typically draws more than 100,000 people. Daily passes are $15 online and $20 at the gate; three-day passes are $28 online and $30 at the gates; iolaoldcarshow.com.
Belgian Days, July 9-11, Brussels
The Brussels Lions Club is marking the 60th anniversary of Belgian Days with all things Belgian — and then some — at Brussels Town Park. Bring your appetite, because the menu includes homemade Belgian waffles from 8 to 11 a.m. July 10. Food stands will open at 10 a.m. July 10-11, serving Belgian trippe, Belgian pies, booyah, potato jutt (boiled potatoes, spinach, onions, nutmeg, bacon grease) and, for the less adventurous, hamburgers.
There’s a cooyah (Belgian card game) tournament at noon July 10 and a parade at 10:30 a.m. July 11. Baseball and cornhole tournaments, bands and children’s inflatables are planned for July 10-11, with gates opening at 7 a.m.
Admission is $2 July 10 or 11, with free admission for the 6 p.m. kickoff July 9 with music by the Third Wheels from 7 to 11 p.m.
Catfish Extravaganza, July 9-10, Greenville
The Catfish Concert, postponed by the pandemic in 2020, finally hits the stage in Greenville Lions Park on July 10 with Styx, 38 Special and Great White. If you didn’t hang on to your ticket, or grab one earlier this year, you’re out of luck. It’s sold out. No ticket is needed, however, for Community Night on July 9 to take in the catfish races from 5 to 7:30 p.m., music by the Glam Band at 8 p.m. and fireworks at dusk. The catfish fry starts serving at 5 p.m. For more on the Greenville Lions Club’s biggest fundraiser of the year, visit greenvillelions.org.
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Pulaski Polka Days, July 15-18, Pulaski
What’s that … you live in Wisconsin but you don’t know how to polka? No problem. Free lessons from 1:30 to 3 p.m. July 16 and 12:30 to 2 p.m. July 17 are all part of the plans for Pulaski Polka Days. Whether you decided to step it up on one of the dance floors on the grounds or just listen to Chad Przybylski, Polish Connection, DynaBrass and others, the music doesn’t stop until after midnight July 16-17.
Polish sausage, pierogis and cabbage rolls headline food offerings with Polish flair. The fireworks on opening night, July 15, have been canceled, but the parade is still on for 11 a.m. July 18. More than 100 vendors will set up on Pulaski Street from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 17 and 18 selling arts, crafts and polka souvenirs. Admission is $2 July 15, $15 July 16 or 17 and free July 18. Children 12 and younger are free. Band schedules for each day can be found at pulaskipolkadays.com.
Paperfest, July 15-18, Combined Locks
If all the fun of the toilet paper toss doesn’t wipe you out, there’s a full slate of other activities, not to mention 30 bands on three stages, to keep you busy at Paperfest. It’s the 33rd year for the free festival, and this year it moves from its home in Kimberly to Memorial Park in Combined Locks to celebrate the village’s centennial. Paperfest offers everything you could want on a summer festival checklist, including fireworks (10 p.m. July 16), a free concert by national country music act the Eli Young Band (10:30 p.m. July 16), a balloon glow (7:30-10 p.m. July 17), a parade (noon July 18), carnival rides, lumberjack shows, helicopter rides and a car show. Gates open at 5 p.m. July 15-16, 10 a.m. July 17 and 11 a.m. July 18. Admission is free. More details at paperfest.com.
SnowFest, July 23-25, Two Rivers
It was on a July day in 1936 that a public works crew digging for a city project turned over a shovel of dirt only to find a 4-by-10-foot mound of snow. The discovery became something to celebrate, starting with the first Snowfest on July 24, 1937. There were Snow Queens, parades, bands, carnivals and pins each summer for decades until SnowFest eventually melted away. For the first time in 23 years, it’s back this year.
The free event, hosted by nonprofit group Friends of Two Rivers SnowFest, will feature music on two stages, food, craft beers, vendors, $1 carnival rides and children’s activities at Walsh Field and Nashota Park. Among the bands playing are Dead Horses, Listening Party, The Dirty Deuce, Strutter, The Happy Schnapps Combo and Boomer Nation. The parade through downtown Two Rivers steps off at 11 a.m. July 24. Full schedule at trsnowfest.org.
Denmark Lions Picnic, July 24, Denmark
A two-day weekend celebration in years past, it returns to Memorial Park as a one-day event with free admission. The fun starts at 2 p.m. with a parade, followed by a demolition derby at 4 p.m. and music by Audiochonk at 7 p.m. Food truck and beverage sales begin in the park after the parade. facebook.com/denmarklions.
Art at the Park, July 24-25, Appleton
The Trout Museum of Art hosts the long-running event that brings big crowds to downtown Appleton to shop jewelry, paintings, ceramics, mixed media, digital art, photography and other wares from nearly 200 artists set up in City Park. Artist hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 24 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 25. The weekend also includes a food court, bands and a creative space for children. You’ll find a list of artists at troutmuseum.org/art-at-the-park.
EAA AirVenture, July 26-Aug. 1, Oshkosh
They don’t come any bigger than the “World’s Greatest Aviation Celebration” at Wittman Regional Airport. The international event drew a record 642,000 people from 93 countries in 2019 and boasted more than 10,000 aircraft. COVID-19 forced its cancellation last year, but AirVenture will once again be busy on land and in the skies for seven days of air shows, a fly-in theater and expanded warbird flying activities to commemorate the 75th anniversary (plus one) since the end of World War II. Children 18 and younger will be admitted free this year to introduce more youth to the world of flight. Events, admission costs and highlights at eaa.org.
Contact Kendra Meinert at 920-431-8347 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @KendraMeinert.